Jan 09 labour thread... or is it?

[fourlittlefeet]

right, new thread, crap title but it was about to go!

Morning- well crappy morning here- I was rear-ended on the way to buy a moses basket mattress and some sheets (I am Sooo not ready for this baby yet )

I am okay, and DD is too thank goodness, but DH is in pain- all down right hand side poor thing.

I am so cross- we were about to sell the car so we can fit our bigger family in it! Now we'll have to wait, and then MOT/tax/insurance will all need doing etc- what a rubbish thing to happen. I was actually getting it valeted this afternoon too!

Fed-up now, as I need to get things done, and can't get to places- DH doesn't drive, I don't want to take DD out in that car seat, but she needs new shoes- says hers are hurting.... meh!

dog- sounds great, but yes- bills will be higher. Space vs bills I'm afraid- I think space would win for me....

I am okay yes- just annoyed and shocked. DS has been kicking me, so he is obviously fine.

Aw no new babies then?

Well my sil has one! She had her little boy at 1.32 last night and He was a week and 3 days early! I knew she would beat me...

I want her out NOW! Have tried everything, the BH do not let up and i am so uncomfortable. Come on baby!

Eachpeach how awful about the car! I am glad you are ok. What a shock. Rest up and look after yourself, it may come back to shake you up later.

house sounds great you will have to go with gut instinct
poor you each peach hope that u r ok and not to shaken

gtab have you tried massaging it and hot/cold water to see if you can stop the pain. Also elevation might help? If its not cramp, I can't think of what it might be, sounds v painful!

gtdb i get that too in my leg. I don't know what it is though?

Still here, no baby I am getting to the point where i just wanna swollow some dynamite or something to get it out! I am going nuts.

its really odd, last time I didn't get anywhere near my due date and felt cheated! I wanted to know what it felt like to go into labour naturally and was jealous of all the bumps complaining around me. Lol at my wishes and now being on the other side!

maybe we should be staring at this

LenniEd thanks for sharing your birth story, it made me cry too. In fact, I cry every time I even think of a baby being born. Last night we watched some of those home birth diaries that discovery channel make, on a video our MW lent us - the first one was brilliant, with this woman that stayed really calm, but the second birth was a bit more traumatic - the baby came out all floppy with the cord wrapped around his neck. Anyway, they got him going fairly quickly with a towelling down, but it made me start worrying about home birth/ birth centre water birth (my two options) - why don't they scan first to check the cord isn't all wrapped up in the wrong way? I'm sure I'm worrying about nothing, and they wouldn't let so many mums give birth at home or in the birth centre if it wasn't really safe, but my birth centre is 20 miles from the hospital, which does scare me slightly.

I want a full moon baby too! Like you rray I think I am getting slightly obsessed with going into labour, and I've still got 8 days to go. Must try to relax! Haven't actually packed a hospital bag, so maybe that is what is delaying things...

Let us know how the monitoring went rray.

Dog hope your leg feels better - it might be a burst blood vessel, one of those harmless things that hurt like hell? I get them occasionally.

off for a walk and some guiness me thinks. sick of sitting around with BH, waiting for godot. lol.

gtdahb good luck with deciding on the house. Have you thought of calling NHS direct about your leg. You should get someone to talk you through it in case of the outside possiblity of it being a dvt. Better safe than sorry and thats what NHS Direct is there for.

EPPM you poor thing. Its always a shock when you have a bump in the car, even if its only minor and such a pain that you were just about to sell it as well. My DH span our car on loose grit and surface water on Thursday and has buckled the front wheel. He was pretty shaken and its really annoying as we had just had new tyres all round for the MOT.

Bad night for me last night got up and 2 and had a bath then went back to bed but had very little sleep. Then this morning felt really rough and ended up sobbing all over DH that I've had enough, feel terrible and this baby is never going to be born etc etc. He went downstairs to get me a drink and I fell asleep again until 1.00!

DS1 is absolutely foul today, poorly but with indistinct symptoms and grumpy beyond belief. He looks green and says he has a headache and his tummy hurts, but then says he is fine if I suggest he should be asleep in bed. We've had lots of tears from him and he is obviously exhausted, so I made DH take him up to bed in spite of loud wailing protestations and accusations of being a horrible mean Mommy! Apparently he had been under a blanket on the sofa all morning but hadn't slept at all - have borrowed the baby's monitor and put it in his room and it sounds like he has gone to sleep now though.

Am a bit about the state of the house. Gave DH a quick run down of what needed doing this weekend and was hoping to see at least some progress when I got up, but it seems he felt the most important job (which wasn't on my priority list) was cleaning the oven, which he apparently laboured on for over an hour and a half! Nothing else has been done at all and I'm feeling useless and pathetic, as I can't even sit up let alone stand up without going dizzy.

Well as you can tell my grump persists and has no sign of leaving in the near future. Am off to search the net for suitable storage for the mountain of lego the boys had for Christmas as if I stand on one more piece in their room someone is likely to cop it big time!

Arghh can't keep up with busy sat here!!

Glad you went for monitioring, you're never ever being ott. And if you are then hey ho. And you're not, I've had people come every single day for minitoring and thats fine too. If bubbs is qiute then what can you do?

Peach - bless you. Its a pita, we were rear ended with dd in the car at 2 months old fecking awful. Truly awful chucking the car seat too, Britax told us anything that causes bumper damage is enough to comprimise the car seat.
You might ache more tommorrow so take it easy. x

gtdahb - we moved from the gingerbread house with double glazing to a 4 bed whopper [to us] with..er...origional features [sash windows that create wind tunnels] and d'you know despite worrying it's fine! We did replace all the radiators for modern ones though and they blast it out. Heavy curtains on the windows does the trick and not heating the whole house just rooms you use. We haven't noticed it being that much colder. The rear is south facing and even a bit of sun cooks up the house nicely. I've no heating on here since 9am and I'm fine in fleecy dressing gown.
We also keep in regular touch with the energy company giving them meter readings to see if the direct debit covers usage over the year.

Happy Birthday Shanster!! Sorry you felt bit ignored - and pregnant too! You should throw a diva fit and head off to a spa in disgust, we support you! I seem to remember wanting to deliver late as poss to put light between Christmas and the baby's birthday. That feeling has gone now!

Off to read the rest of thread...

dog - did you have any cramp last night - that could be it....

Moose we are having the same pregnancy - but I don't feel as rouogh as you. Up all night, asleep all morning then feeling terrible about wasted life and time with kids all day. Its pants! Whay cant we sleep at night!?

GiveTheDog - have you thought of asking for the previous energy supplier details - they will tell you what the usage was fo those people. Least you know what to expect then.
NHS direct good idea and delivery suite always happy to talk too.

Hey MissJackson - just to put your mind at rest about cords around necks, they can cause distress but this is picked up in labour and can be dealt with by transfer in and continous monitoring adn whatever is needed then. We hear the pattern by listening in before during and after contractions.
Babies are born 'shocked' and 'floppy', but if they have had a relatively stress free labour then they are actually designed to cope with this and to have recovered in a min or so. It's part of the transition to life on land and is why some section babies don't do as well in the first few hours. They need the stress. So actually a baby born floppy and not doing much should be given time of skin to skin and gentle stimulation to come round. Midwives are very used to seeing babies like this and act quickly but are generally unruffled. Having the cord around the neck doesn't always cause distress, it's usually just a detail. It's all about the heart rate and that will be monitored and managed at home exactly like in hospital and so you are safe. Some babies fail to cope desite having a great placenta and no cord trouble, others cope great despite having all the cards stacked against them.
Don't you worry about the transfer time, the midiwfe will be aware of this when making decisions about when and if to transfer. The only time being at home is a time issue is in the sudden abrupt emergencies that give us no warning, to truly have no warning is rare hence hb is considered safe for the low risk pregnancy as long as the mum is aware and accepting of this slim risk.

End of lecture but I'd hate you to have a nigglly worry in labour at home!

OK now for an "am i mad to consider this" or a WWYD

DH's grandma has just died. the funeral will be in 7-10 days a 3 hour drive away. I'm due on 26th Jan (my calculation) or 28th Jan (midwife - I have more faith in my calculation!)

Could you and would you do a 6 hr drive a week b4 your due date - I'm already uncomfortable in the car...

common sense is telling me to stay at home but i feel i ought to go.

secondly what about DH, 3 hours isn't too far for him to get back in an emergency but i'd rather be with him IYSWIM

WWYD?

I could also add "especially if the weather is bad" - it is a 3 hr drive on a good day (london to sheffield)

I dunno. Honest answer!

it's a toughie isn't it!

thanks for reassurance Tree - you're right, the midwife did seem very calm and the baby only took a minute or two before he cried and then started feeding.

Fym I really would be too uncomfortable for such a long trip - if you do go into labour, DH will be able to turn around and come back before it's too late - hopefully! But it's a tough one... Maybe if you just tell your body 'not today' strictly enough, it will be fine anyway?!

Hmmm, i would probably do it. If dh is with you pack the car up as if the baby could arrive (car seat, hosp bag etc...) and hope for the best. Stop lots to walk around too. Sure it will all be fine

I too lie awake all night, it has been heaven today as i have been able to go back to bed for a sleep this afternoon whereas all week i have had to be up all day too. I have terrible insomnia and am weeing about 4 times a night too.

It is Saturday, i have babies on Saturdays and Thursdays so THIS IS IT!